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Election 2016: Del Gallo Throws Support to Clinton
By Rinaldo Del Gallo, Campaign Statement
06:55PM / Friday, July 15, 2016
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — If one were to go to my Facebook page and read my post endorsing Hillary Clinton, it was met with criticism by some Bernie Sanders supporters and progressives. Apparently, my endorsement of Hillary Clinton is controversial in progressive circles. Nonetheless, I stand by my July 13 comments and press release endorsing Hillary Clinton.

I was not surprised — I have spoken to countless people in the district that I have indicated to me that they voted for Bernie Sanders but they will not vote for Hillary Clinton if she became the nominee. I believe not voting for Hillary Clinton is a mistake.

The simple reality is that because we do not have instant run-off voting, we have a two-party system because of the rules of elections. Whenever you have a system where there are district-by-district elections and you can win by a mere plurality, there will always be a two-party system. This is called Devuyger’s law and it is a political theory worth Googling. I firmly believe that if we have a system (as ours) that has district-by-district elections (instead of proportionality) and one can win with a mere plurality (most votes but not necessarily over 50 percent), there will be virtually no hope of third parties developing.   
 
But more directly to the point of my endorsement of Hillary Clinton: I would respectfully submit that those that do not believe that the spoiler effect is real, or that Ralph Nader did not cause George Bush to beat Al Gore, are simply wrong. According to Wikipedia, in the state of Florida, the final certified vote count showed Bush with just 537 more votes than Gore. (Source, Wikipedia). Among Nader voters, 45 percent said they would have voted for Mr. Gore, 27 percent said they would have voted for Mr. Bush, and the rest said they would not have voted. (Source: NYT)  Even without statistics, it is hard for me to believe that a liberal third-party candidate would not steal more votes from the Democrat as compared to the Republican.
 
I firmly believe that if the progressive wants change, if the Bernie Sanders revolution is to continue, we will have to take over the Democratic Party. I also believe that change outside the two-party system is infinitely less likely to happen without enacting instant runoff voting. Bernie Sanders did the right thing in trying to be the Democratic Party nominee instead of trying to run as an independent (as he was registered or many years). It is now time to continue that progressive revolution within the Democratic Party in races across the country. That is why I exuberantly support progressives such as Elizabeth Warren.
 
I understand that there are many progressives (almost all who became Bernie Sanders supporters) who are dissatisfied with Hillary Clinton and will never vote for her and would want to make a statement when they cast their ballot by writing in Bernie Sanders or voting for a third-party candidate: this might make them feel good, but it takes them out of having a voice in the fundamental question of the presidential election: Who should be President, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump? 
 
But I would ask these progressive who are thinking of not voting for Hillary Clinton a very straightforward question:  Who would you rather have, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump? The question is not the relative merits of Hillary Clinton examined in isolation, but the relative merits of Hillary Clinton vis-à-vis Donald Trump. 
 
If the honest answer is "no preference, they are both equally bad" there is nothing I can ever say to you to make you change your mind.   
 
I ask for your support in the state primary, but would strongly urge you to reconsider whether you honestly believe you have no preference between the Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. I would kindly submit that if you examine your heart and convictions, there should be no way Donald Trump should be the next President of the United States. The person that will realistically stop Donald Trump from being the next president is Hillary Clinton.
 

 
As the press is undoubtedly aware, I am openly running for state senate as a Bernie Sanders progressive, and Bernie Sanders has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. I agree with this endorsement, and I also endorse Hillary Clinton for President of the United States.
 
For many years, I have been writing columns on Instant Run-off Voting, also called “ranked voting.”  You can read some of my columns on this subject at the links provided below:
 
Berkshire Eagle, "Case for instant run-off voting," Saturday Nov. 3, 2012
 
Taunton Daily Gazette, Nov. 4, 2014, "Guest Opinion: Put instant runoff voting on the ballot"
 
Berkshire Eagle, "A Better Method for Pittsfield Elections," Sept. 25, 2015
 
However, the simple reality is that we do not have instant run-off elections; a candidate may win with a mere plurality (the most votes but not necessarily 50 percent ), and not a majority (more than 50 percent). If we had ranked voting and a requirement that candidates win with majorities, a vote for a progressive third party candidate, or a write-in vote for Bernie Sander himself makes sense. It does not in our system of government. Votes for Ralph Nader in Florida probably put George Bush in the White House.
 
There are two real choices in terms of electability: Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Certainly, a voter can make a statement by voting for a third-party candidate or writing in Bernie Sanders; but it is a statement that in practicality makes it one vote more likely that Donald Trump will be our next president.
 
The progressive movement that Bernie Sanders represents is not about one election or one movement. Now, all across America, "Berniecrats" are running for office. I represent that revolution at the state level — but it is not just about me either. It is about us.   
 
I will continue to fight the Bernie Sanders Progressive revolution at the state level. The greatest issues of our time are the tremendous wealth inequality in our country, a lack of a living wage, global warming and the degradation of our environment, the extreme cost of higher education, a criminal justice system in great need of reform to end mass incarceration and instead focus on drug and alcohol treatment, and the disappearance of the middle class.  Much can be done at the state level to advance these causes.
 
But whether the voter will be voting for Hillary Clinton, writing in Bernie Sanders, or voting for Jill Stein in November, I ask them to vote for me this Thursday, Sept. 8, so we as a movement can continue with the revolution. This is about a movement, not an election or any one person.
 
As a candidate, my politics are in line with Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
 
Rinaldo Del Gallo, a local attorney, is running for the Democratic nomination for state senator for the Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden District in September.
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